In what ways can we identify and remove modern-day idols from our lives? The Word Before Us: Ezekiel 6:4 “Your altars will be demolished and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will cast down your slain before your idols.” Tracing the Pattern: Ancient Altars, Modern Hearts Israel’s stone and wood shrines were outward symbols of an inward betrayal—affections shifted from the living God to powerless substitutes. The Lord’s response was decisive: tear down, smash, cast down. That same intensity still reveals His heart toward anything that steals His rightful place in us. Spotting Today’s Idols Use these diagnostic “altar-tests” drawn from Scripture: • Affection – What consistently excites or comforts you more than fellowship with Christ? (Matthew 22:37) • Time – Where do the best hours of your day go without resistance? (Ephesians 5:16) • Money – Study the bank statement; spending exposes worship (Matthew 6:21). • Trust – When pressure mounts, what do you instinctively rely on—savings, status, screen, substance? (Psalm 20:7) • Obedience gaps – Areas you refuse to yield often reveal hidden gods (1 Samuel 15:22-23). • Persistent sin loops – Colossians 3:5 names greed, impurity, and lust “idolatry,” spotlighting habits that sit on a throne. Tearing Them Down Follow Ezekiel’s verbs—demolish, smash, cast down—applied through New-Covenant grace: 1. Confess plainly • Psalm 139:23-24: invite the Spirit to expose the idol. • Call it what God calls it—sin, not “struggle.” 2. Repent deliberately • Turn mind and will: 1 Thessalonians 1:9, “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” • Replace vague regret with concrete action. 3. Remove access points • Similar to Judah’s altars, eliminate physical triggers: delete apps, cancel subscriptions, relocate funds, change routes. • Acts 19:19 reminds us believers burned costly magic scrolls—no half measures. 4. Reallocate resources • Time: carve out daily, unhurried Scripture and prayer blocks (Psalm 63:1). • Finances: prioritize generous giving (Proverbs 3:9). • Energy: serve others; idolatry shrivels in the atmosphere of self-forgetting love (Galatians 5:13). 5. Re-train the heart’s delight • Psalm 16:11—fullness of joy in His presence. • Practice worship, memorize promises, sing truth; affection must be redirected, not merely restrained. 6. Seek accountability • Hebrews 10:24-25 calls us to spur one another on. • A trusted believer can spot the early rebuild of an altar you thought was gone. Guarding Against Rebuilding • Stay sober-minded (1 Peter 5:8). Idols often return dressed in new trends. • Celebrate communion with freshness; the cross reminds us idols cost blood. • Keep short accounts with God—daily confession keeps altars from forming. • Teach the next generation; Judges 2:10 shows what happens when stories of deliverance aren’t passed down. Living With Singleness of Heart Ezekiel 11:19 foretells a “new heart” and a “single heart.” In Christ that promise is ours now. By loving Him with undivided devotion, we enjoy what idols could never deliver—freedom, purpose, and the glad smile of the One who demolished every barrier to make us His own. |
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